little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第178章

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assurance　that　Bar　was　not　yet　in　bed。　In　fact；　this　busy　bee　had
a　verdict　to　get　to…morrow；　against　evidence；　and　was　improving　the
shining　hours　in　setting　snares　for　the　gentlemen　of　the　jury。

Physician's　knock　astonished　Bar；　but；　as　he　immediately　suspected　that
somebody　had　e　to　tell　him　that　somebody　else　was　robbing　him；　or
otherwise　trying　to　get　the　better　of　him；　he　came　down　promptly　and
softly。　He　had　been　clearing　his　head　with　a　lotion　of　cold　water；　as　a
good　preparative　to　providing　hot　water　for　the　heads　of　the　jury；　and
had　been　reading　with　the　neck　of　his　shirt　thrown　wide　open　that　he
might　the　more　freely　choke　the　opposite　witnesses。　In　consequence；　he
came　down；　looking　rather　wild。　Seeing　Physician；　the　least　expected　of
men；　he　looked　wilder　and　said；　'What's　the　matter？'

'You　asked　me　once　what　Merdle's　plaint　was。'

'Extraordinary　answer！　I　know　I　did。'

'I　told　you　I　had　not　found　out。'

'Yes。　I　know　you　did。'

'I　have　found　it　out。'

'My　God！'　said　Bar；　starting　back；　and　clapping　his　hand　upon　the
other's　breast。　'And　so　have　I！　I　see　it　in　your　face。'

They　went　into　the　nearest　room；　where　Physician　gave　him　the　letter　to
read。　He　read　it　through　half…a…dozen　times。　There　was　not　much　in　it
as　to　quantity；　but　it　made　a　great　demand　on　his　close　and　continuous
attention。　He　could　not　sufficiently　give　utterance　to　his　regret　that
he　had　not　himself　found　a　clue　to　this。　The　smallest　clue；　he　said；
would　have　made　him　master　of　the　case；　and　what　a　case　it　would　have
been　to　have　got　to　the　bottom　of！

Physician　had　engaged　to　break　the　intelligence　in　Harley　Street。　Bar
could　not　at　once　return　to　his　inveiglements　of　the　most　enlightened
and　remarkable　jury　he　had　ever　seen　in　that　box；　with　whom；　he　could
tell　his　learned　friend；　no　shallow　sophistry　would　go　down；　and　no
unhappily　abused　professional　tact　and　skill　prevail　（this　was　the　way
he　meant　to　begin　with　them）；　so　he　said　he　would　go　too；　and　would
loiter　to　and　fro　near　the　house　while　his　friend　was　inside。　They
walked　there；　the　better　to　recover　self…possession　in　the　air；　and　the
wings　of　day　were　fluttering　the　night　when　Physician　knocked　at　the
door。

A　footman　of　rainbow　hues；　in　the　public　eye；　was　sitting　up　for　his
master……that　is　to　say；　was　fast　asleep　in　the　kitchen　over　a　couple
of　candles　and　a　newspaper；　demonstrating　the　great　accumulation　of
mathematical　odds　against　the　probabilities　of　a　house　being　set　on　fire
by　accident　When　this　serving　man　was　roused；　Physician　had　still　to
await　the　rousing　of　the　Chief　Butler。　At　last　that　noble　creature　came
into　the　dining…room　in　a　flannel　gown　and　list　shoes；　but　with　his
cravat　on；　and　a　Chief　Butler　all　over。　It　was　morning　now。　Physician
had　opened　the　shutters　of　one　window　while　waiting；　that　he　might　see
the　light。　'Mrs　Merdle's　maid　must　be　called；　and　told　to　get　Mrs　Merdle
up；　and　prepare　her　as　gently　as　she　can　to　see　me。　I　have　dreadful　news
to　break　to　her。'

Thus　Physician　to　the　Chief　Butler。　The　latter；　who　had　a　candle　in　his
hand；　called　his　man　to　take　it　away。　Then　he　approached　the　window　with
dignity；　looking　on　at　Physician's　news　exactly　as　he　had　looked　on　at
the　dinners　in　that　very　room。

'Mr　Merdle　is　dead。'

'I　should　wish；'　said　the　Chief　Butler；　'to　give　a　month's　notice。'

'Mr　Merdle　has　destroyed　himself。'

'Sir；'　said　the　Chief　Butler；　'that　is　very　unpleasant　to　the　feelings
of　one　in　my　position；　as　calculated　to　awaken　prejudice；　and　I　should
wish　to　leave　immediately。'

'If　you　are　not　shocked；　are　you　not　surprised；　man？'　demanded　the
Physician；　warmly。

The　Chief　Butler；　erect　and　calm；　replied　in　these　memorable　words。

'Sir；　Mr　Merdle　never　was　the　gentleman；　and　no　ungentlemanly　act　on
Mr　Merdle's　part　would　surprise　me。　Is　there　anybody　else　I　can　send　to
you；　or　any　other　directions　I　can　give　before　I　leave；　respecting　what
you　would　wish　to　be　done？'

When　Physician；　after　discharging　himself　of　his　trust　up…stairs；
rejoined　Bar　in　the　street；　he　said　no　more　of　his　interview　with　Mrs
Merdle　than　that　he　had　not　yet　told　her　all；　but　that　what　he　had　told
her　she　had　borne　pretty　well。　Bar　had　devoted　his　leisure　in　the　street
to　the　construction　of　a　most　ingenious　man…trap　for　catching　the　whole
of　his　jury　at　a　blow；　having　got　that　matter　settled　in　his　mind；
it　was　lucid　on　the　late　catastrophe；　and　they　walked　home　slowly；
discussing　it　in　every　bearing。　Before　parting　at　the　Physician's　door；
they　both　looked　up　at　the　sunny　morning　sky；　into　which　the　smoke　of　a
few　early　fires　and　the　breath　and　voices　of　a　few　early　stirrers　were
peacefully　rising；　and　then　looked　round　upon　the　immense　city；　and
said；　if　all　those　hundreds　and　thousands　of　beggared　people　who　were
yet　asleep　could　only　know；　as　they　two　spoke；　the　ruin　that　impended
over　them；　what　a　fearful　cry　against　one　miserable　soul　would　go　up　to
Heaven！

The　report　that　the　great　man　was　dead；　got　about　with　astonishing
rapidity。　At　first；　he　was　dead　of　all　the　diseases　that　ever　were
known；　and　of　several　bran…new　maladies　invented　with　the　speed　of
Light　to　meet　the　demand　of　the　occasion。　He　had　concealed　a　dropsy　from
infancy；　he　had　inherited　a　large　estate　of　water　on　the　chest　from　his
grandfather；　he　had　had　an　operation　performed　upon　him　every　morning
of　his　life　for　eighteen　years；　he　had　been　subject　to　the　explosion　of
important　veins　in　his　body　after　the　manner　of　fireworks；　he　had　had
something　the　matter　with　his　lungs；　he　had　had　something　the　matter
with　his　heart；　he　had　had　something　the　matter　with　his　brain。　Five
hundred　people　who　sat　down　to　breakfast　entirely　uninformed　on　the
whole　subject；　believed　before　they　had　done　breakfast；　that　they
privately　and　personally　knew　Physician　to　have　said　to　Mr　Merdle；　'You
must　expect　to　go　out；　some　day；　like　the　snuff　of　a　candle；'　and　that
they　knew　Mr　Merdle　to　have　said　to　Physician；　'A　man　can　die　but　once。'
By　about　eleven　o'clock　in　the　forenoon；　something　the　matter　with　the
brain；　became　the　favourite　theory　against　the　field；　and　by　twelve　the
something　had　been　distinctly　ascertained　to　be　'Pressure。'

Pressure　was　so　entirely　satisfactory　to　the　public　mind；　and　seemed　to
make　everybody　so　fortable；　that　it　might　have　lasted　all　day　but　for
Bar's　having　taken　the　real　state　of　the　case　into　Court　at　half…past
nine。　This　led　to　its　beginning　to　be　currently　whispered　all　over
London　by　about　one；　that　Mr　Merdle　had　killed　himself。　Pressure；
however；　so　far　from　being　overthrown　by　the　discovery；　became　a　greater
favourite　than　ever。　There　was　a　general　moralising　upon　Pressure；　in
every　street。　All　the　people　who　had　tried　to　make　money　and　had　not
been　able　to　do　it；　said；　There　you　were！　You　no　sooner　began　to　devote
yourself　to　the　pursuit　of　wealth　than　you　got　Pressure。　The　idle　people
improved　the　occasion　in　a　similar　manner。　See；　said　they；　what　you
brought　yourself　to　by　work；　work；　work！　You　persisted　in　working；　you
overdid　it。　Pressure　came　on；　and　you　were　done　for！　This　consideration
was　very　potent　in　many　quarters；　but　nowhere　more　so　than　among　the
young　clerks　and　partners　who　had　never　been　in　the　slightest　danger
of　overdoing　it。　These；　one　and　all；　declared；　quite　piously；　that　they
hoped　they　would　never　forget　the　warning　as　long　as　they　lived；　and
that　their　conduct　might　be　so　regulated　as　to　keep　off　Pressure；　and
preserve　them；　a　fort　to　their　friends；　for　many　years。

But；　at　about　the　time　of　High　'Change；　Pressure　began　to　wane；　and
appalling　whispers　to　circulate；　east；　west；　north；　and　south。　At　first
they　were　faint；　and　went　no　further　than　a　doubt　whether　Mr　Merdle's
wealth　would　be　found　to　be　as　vast　as　had　been　supposed；　whether　there
might　not　be　a　temporary　difficulty　in　'realising'　it；　whether　there
might　not　even　be　a　temporary　suspension　（say　a　month　or　so）；　on　the
part　of　the　wonderful　Bank。　As　the　whispers　became　louder；　which　they
did　from　that　time　every　minute；　they　became　more　threatening。　He　had
sprung　from　nothing；　by　no　natural　growth　or　process　that　any　one　could
account　for；　he　had　been；　after　all；　a　low；　ignorant　fellow；　he　had　been
a　down…looking　man；　and　no　one　had　ever　been　able　to　catch　his　eye；
he　had　been　taken　up　by　all　sorts　of　people　in　quite　an　unaccountable
manner；　he　had　never　had　any　money　of　his　own；　his　ventures　had　been
utterly　reckless；　and　his　expenditure　had　been　most　enormous。　In　steady
progression；　as　the　day　declined；　the　talk　rose　in　sound　and　purpose。
He　had　left　a　letter　at　the　Baths　addressed　to　his　physician；　and　his
physician　had　got　the　letter；　and　the　letter　would　be　produced　at　the
Inquest　on　the　morrow；　and　it　would　fall　like　a　thunderbolt　upon　the
multitude　he　had　deluded。　Numbers　of　men　in　every　profession　and　trade
would　be　blighted　by　his　insolvency；　old　people　who　had　been　in　easy
circumstances　all　their　lives　would　have　no　place　of　repentance　for
their　trust　in　him　but　the　workhouse；　legions　of　women　and　children
would　have　their　whole　future　desolated　by　the　hand　of　this　mighty
scoundrel。　Every　partaker　of　his　magnificent　feasts　w